Adjustable foot support



April 12, 1932. w E COP|THQRN 1,853,550

ADJUSTABLE FOOT SUPPORT Filed Sept. 14, 1929 fl iifeiiioi' WM 6.

atkoz-zngy Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES wanna a corrrnoan, orNA'HQK, mucnusm'rs ADJUSTABLE I'OO'I' SUPPORT Application filedSeptember 14, 1939. Serial Io. 898,508.

each person. Another object has been tomake this support comfortable andresilient for the wearer.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel construction, combina- 29 tion and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrate in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoe partly insection showing two forms of my adjustable support for the arch and ballof the foot respectively.

Figure 2 is top view of the same partly broken away. 4

Figure'3 is a cross-sectional side view of a shoe showing the form ofadjustable support preferable for supporting the arch.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of my adjuster taken on the line44 of Figure 3.

Fi ure 5 is a sectional view of my adjuster provided with a spiralspring.

As illustrated my foot support when used to support the arch consists ofan inner sole 12, which fits inside the shoe and extends from the heelto a point beyondthe arch. Attached and fitted to the under side ofwhich inner sole is a curved arch piece or backer 13 made of metal orother strongmaterial. Beneath 45 the arch piece 13 is a spring metalpiece 14 which is fastened at one end to the heel portion of the innersole 12 by rivets 15 which also pass through the arch piece 13. Thisspring piece 14 is so shaped that there is a 50 space 16 between itsmiddle portion and the arch piece 13. The front end of this spring piece14 is preferably not fastened, so that it in said spring piece 14 inwhich hole the ad- -'justing member A is held at its to portion.

This adjusting member A, which ts into a hole made in the sole or bottomof the shoe, usuall below the arch, is composed of a screw 18 havlng ahead 19 which fits over said spring lece 14 and at the other end of saidscrew is a slot 20 to receive a screw driver.

An outer casing or skirt 21 threads on this screw 18, which sln'rt has aflange 22 at the top. A plug 23 screws into the lower portion of theskirt to keep water and dirt out. A supporting plate 24 extends from thefront of the heel portion of the shoe to the sole so that it bridges thearch of the foot. This plate 24 is flat and preferably made of metal asit must by sufliciently stifl to support the weight of the erson'usingit.

A ho e is provided in this supporting plate 24 and the skirt 21 extendsthrough sa1d hole so that the under ed e of its flange 22 rests on saidplate 24. en it is desired to adjust the support a screw driver isinserted in the slot 20 and the screw 18 is thereby turned to move it uwardly or downwardly as desired. If the arc requires greater or highersupport the screw is moved upwar whereas if less su port is desired itis moved downwardly. 0 course, it will be understood that as manyadjusters may be used as are necessary by merely providing more holesirti1 the spring piece 14 and in the sole of the s oe.

In the event that my adjustable foot support is inserted in themanufacture of the shoe the usual inner sole in the shoe takes the placeof the inner sole 12.

I have shown a modification of m invention whereby a spiral spring mayused. This spiral spring 30 is more especially adapted for use when itis desired to support the ball of the foot. In this event a screw 35 isprovided with a flange or shoulder 36, and a slot 39 at the outer end.Under the inner sole a metal backer 37 is fastened. One end 31 of thespiral spring 30 is fastened to this ,1

backer 37 while the other end 32 fits into a hole made in the side ofthe screw. Askirt 38, interiorly screw threaded, having a shoulder 38a,is fitted into the sole of the shoe, in which skirt the screw 35 isthreaded. As the,screw 35 is moved upwardly b screwing, its flange 36compresses the spin spring 30, exerting a force upwardly on the metalbacker 37 thereby raisin it, and, of course as the screw 35 is movedownwardly the opposite effect is produced. The cap 40 fits into thescrew 35 to keep the dirt out.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated-anddescribed, the invention is not to be considered as limited to theparticular combination'and arrangement of parts as above described,except as limited in scope by the appended I claim:

A foot support for a -'hoe' which has a hole in the outer sole,comprisin a curved backer under the inner sole of t eshoe, a springpiece under said backer and attached at one end to said backer andhavingahole therein in alinement with said hole in the outer sole, asupporting plate be1ovsaidspring piece having a hole therein inalininent with said other holes, and an adjusting member embodyingscrewe on said screw, said screw having a portion adjacent the topextending beyond the body of the screw on which the'under side of saidspring piece contacts, said sln'rt having a flange at its top ortionwhich flange rests 101::e the uppersur ace of said support- 1ng p a DR.WALTER E. COPITHORN.

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League a screw and a: screw-threaded skirt a

